Washing-machine agitator



July m, W29. F. R. sTEELsMlTH WASHING MACHINE AGITATOR Filed July 12, 1928 Application alert July lit, 192%. Serial No. 292,0@2

lllhis invention relates to improvements in agitators for 'washing machines of that type mounted in the bottom, of the tub and having a vertical hub and radial agitator blades,

and which is adapted to oscillate about a vertical anis.

Considerable 'diticulty has been experienced 'with the clothes being Washed gather ing on the top portion of the agitator, or if 1o the hub extends a considerable distance above lthe dolly, trouble is experienced in the clothes wrapping around the upwardly projecting end, which causes them to be supported in sucha manner that they will not be properly W washed., the wrapping ot the clothes about the hub often causes a large amount of Y and knotting of the clothes will be eliminated,

and which is adapted to be used in connection with various types of agitators without Ina.

teriorly interfering with the fundamental construction and arrangement ol the same.

A further object is to provide in an agitator ot the type having a rigid upright pivotal post improved means for preventing longitudinal movement of the agitator relative to said post to reduce undesirable knocking as reverse movement is imparted to the agitator.

A further object is to provide in that type of agitator having a rigidly supported pivot post, and a permanently mounted actuating member supported on said post, improved means for detachably mounting the agitator with said actuating means.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of one type of an agitator showing the manner in which my improved means is applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a plan view oit same.l

Figure 3 is a dctaii sectional view taken on the line 3-3 et ligure l. i Figure d is a vertical sectional View showing the manner in which my improved device 1s applied to another type of agitator.

'lhe numeral 10 indicates a washing machine tub having a bottom 11, the central portion of said bottom being provided with a recess 12. The bottom ot said recess has a screw threaded opening 13, in which is mounted an uprlght pivot post let, rigidly supported in said bottom. The post is provided With a flange 15 slightly above the bottom 11, on which is mounted a ball bearing 16. The upper end of the post 14 has a contracted screw threaded portion 17 on which is mounted a ball bearing 18 secured in position by means of suitable lock nuts 19.

Mounted on the movable collars of the ball bearings 16 and 18 isa sleeve 20, the lower end ot which isprovided with gear teeth 21 to form a pinion, which is actuated by means ot'a reciprocating rack bar 22 in the usual manner. Said rack bar is slidably mounted 1n a pivot guide yoke 23.

rlhe upper end of the sleeve 20 is provided with a recess 24 tor receiving the ball bearings 18 and the lock nuts 19.

The upper end of said sleeve 20 is also provided with a square portion 25 designed to enter a square opening 26 in a bushing 27. Said bushing 27 is rigidly mounted in the hub 28 of the agitator 29. Said agitator is provided with the usual upright radial blades 30. The upper end of the bushing 27 is enlarged and rests above the .upper end of the hub 28.. The diameter of said bushing is slightly less than the diameter of the huband the outer tace of said bushing is finished.

A cylindrical shield or cap 31 is rotatively mounted on`the upwardly projectin end of `.said bushing. Said shield may be o any desired length. The diameter of the shield is substantially the same as the outside diameter of the hub 28.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the tendency ofthe clothes to Wrap about the hub portion of the agitator is greatly reduced, due to the fact that the moment adhesion takes place between the clothes and the revolvable shield, the agitator hub is permitted to rotate Within the shield to thereby prevent a large per cent of the wrapping effect. There is some tendency toward Wrapping, however,

dueto the friction between the shield and the member on 'which it is mounted, which will cause a slight tendency toward Wrapping or winding of the clothes about saidshield. If this Wrapping takes place, the clothes are quickly released by the thrashing or agitating ei'ect of the blades 30.

On account of the inertia action of the clothes and 'the shield, it will be seen that the` agitator will move in advance of the clothes Wound on said shield, which has a tendency to loosen and unwind the clothes from the shield.

In Figure 4 l have illustra-ted a slightly modified form in which'the bottom of the tub is indicated by the numeral 32, and which is provided with an upright sleeve 33, the lower end of which projects through the .bottom of the tub, While the upper end of the sleeve is of such height as to project above the normal 'Water line.

An oscillatory shaft flismou'nted in said sleeve, the lower end ci which 'is provided with a Arock arm S, While the upper end has a contracted screw threaded portion 36, in which mounted one end 37 of a down- Wardly projecting sleeve 38, which surrounds the sleeve and 'is designed to support the agitator 39 in its lovvcr end.v The Winding and Wrapping ei'iect of this type ci" agitator is very pronoimced, the clothes Wrapping about the sleeve 38. This .Wrapping is easily ,overn come by providing' a shield 40, the upper end of which is pivotally mounted on the upper end of the member 86 and the lower end rotatively' mounted onthe shoulder 37 on the sleeve 38. The operation ci* this form of the device is the same as that above described.

By mounting the sleeve 2O on suitable ball bearings and rigidly securing the same in place by 'means oi the lock nuts i9. l have provided means whereby any longitudinal movement of the sleeve Q0 relative to the post let is eliminated. The nuts i9 provide means for taking up any end weer that may develope..

Thus it Will be seen that I have provided an improved Washing machine agitator of that type adapted to oscillate about a vertical anis and to be mounted in the bottom end of the tub, whereby undesirable noise caused by the reve1si1i,: l of the agitator is eliminated, and whereby the undesirable feature of the clothes Wrapping about the agitator hub is entirely eliminated.

I claim as my invention 1. A Washing machine agitator comprising anupright hub adapted to oscillate about a vertical axis having upright radial blades at upper 'end Vof said hub.

2. A Washing machine agitator comprising an upright hub adapted to oscillate about a vertical axis, and having upright radial blades o5 at its lower end, a cylindrical shield supported upon and covering the upper end of said hub, the side surface of said shield being substantially common with the outside surface of said hub, said shield being rotatively mounted relative to said hub and agitator blades.

3. 'ln combination, a support, a vertical pivot member, an agitator rotatively mounted on said pivot member, said agitator comprising a hub having a fixed and radial upright T5 blade, thev upper end of said hub having a slightly contracted portion, and a. cylindrical shield rotatively mounted on and relative to said contracted portion and about a common anis 'with said agitator. fil-,ln combination, a support, a vertical pivot member, an agitaftcr rot'atively mounted on said pivot member, said agitator comp "ising a hub havinga iixed and radial upright blade, the,l upper end of. seid hub having e. 86S slightly contracted portion, e. cylindrical shield rotatively mounted on and relative to said contracted portion and about a common axis with said agitator, and means for imparting a rotary oscillatory movement said 9@ agitator.

5. ln combination, a support, a vertical pivot member, an agitatorrotatively mounted on said pivot member, 'said ,agitator coniprisl ing a hub having axed and 'radialfupright-l blade, the upper end of said hub'liaving a slightly contracted portion,Y a cylindrical shield rotatively mounted onfand'relative to said contracted portion and about a common axis with said agitator, and 'adjustable bear- 100 ing members carried by saidupright pivot for preventing .longitudinal movement of said ,agitator relative to said'pivotmember.

6. In combination, a support, a fixed upright pivot member,i a sleeve rotatively 105 4mounted on said pivot member, adjustable rinc ai'is for retaining said sleeve against longitudinal Inovementrelative to said pivot, the upper end of the side surfaceof said sleeve being square, an agitator having a square 1N opening for tting the square portion of said sleeve, a shield rotatively supported upon, relative to and covering the upper end of the hub of said agitator, and means for im arting rotary reciprocating movementto sei sleeve. H5

Des Moines, iowa, July 7, 1928.

FRANK R. STEELSMTH. 

